CH>  I was baffled by the what time is it when you hold four fingers up
 CH> between sun and horizon.

 RW> We aren't amazed at that.

 Different tool. You(yous?) use hand I use sight.

 CH> Taking my walk this morning at 7AM so I could and did get back from
 CH> our two mile walk while it was still enjoyably cool- I did that four
 CH> finger thing and said okay it's uh July and sumer so it's 7ish.

 RW> What time was sun-rise?

  Guessed about 15 min. to  7 AM which is when I get out for my morning walk.
  Paper says: 6:33 am. good 'nuff. I mostly go by : it's daybreak.
....................................
 CH> (Knowing what time it was is of course was a cheat but then again you
 CH> KNOW it's just past dawn..

 RW> But how far past dawn?

 About a half hour. I try to get up earlier. When we lived in Texas
I'd get out by 6:15 and and watch the dawn rise half way into my
route. Ah quite a sight that is. You can almost "hear" it comin' up!
Remained me of the shuttle just after launch when it looks like a ball
o'fire. (This is more notable at after dark launches.)
....................

 CH> If it were winter it' would be after 7 or so...

 RW> Oh?

 Well yeah Roy, haven't you ever gotten up at dawn in the winter time?
Being' in Texas with mostly clear skies you can tell. If it's overcast
then of course it looks dark til almost 8 AM.
.............................
 CH> Don't you all know what 'day' looks like during the course of the
 CH> day?

 RW> Yeah. It's lighter than the dark of night.

 Oh wow. Don't you notice the way the light falls? The shadows? You
can tell morning from afternoon can't you??? Not to worry. I think
it's part of my compensation phenomena.
 ..........

 CH> :) :) Now I couldn't tell you what time it might be by night because
 CH> I'm usually sound asleep at night and even if I was awake I'd say
 CH> well it feels like the middle of the night 

 RW> And you could prove this, how?

 The nocturnal cycle... if you drink a glass of water before you go to
bed, it will be broken (the sleep cycle) about half way between
falling asleep and day break. So that is to say if you have to get up
to go to the bathroom, it always feels like the middle of the night.

Of course if there's a full moon it could feel almost like day! In
Texas anyway. The moon is extra big when full, in Texas. No seriously.
It really does look bigger. I've never seen a bigger full moon than a
full moon seen in Texas. Especially in the winter. (Moon rise occurring
after sunset).

....

 CH> But by daylight as long as the sun is shining I can guess the hour
 CH> fairly well and yes the season matters.

 RW> Oh yeah? Today the sun was shining, but I couldn't see it. What time
 RW> was it?

 The sun is always shining. But the idiom of 'not shining' usually
means for us humans: it is cloudy out, we can't SEE the sun shining
so therefore , it's not shining, for us to see.

It is next to impossible except around noon, as the sky is brighter
depending on the type of cloud cover- to gauge the time of day if
the sky is overcast. That's why I like sunny skies best.

.......................
 CH> Just by how the light falls/ the shadows made etc.. by how the day
 CH> looks.

 RW> Ahhh.

 When we have taken long car drives- OH say, most recently- from
Fort Worth, Texas to Orlando, Florida for example, I've nothing much
to do but read or look out the window so I notice things a lot,
Like how the light changes as we pass the time of day.

You'll notice driving east at the start of dawn, when and how long the
Sun will be baring down on you in the front seat through the
windshield..and when it finally gets up there enough and over to the
other side and oh -lunch then afternoon... yes.

You ever take long car trips? About 8 hours a day for two days?
It's not as noticeable I'll submit going north or south but it sure is
going east/west; especially in the South.
....................................
 CH> Now on an OVercast day: this is much harder Except at noon which is
 CH> when the 'day' looks brightest unless there is a dark cloud
 CH> thunderstorm going on at the time ...

 RW> Don't forget the moon-bats. The moon-bats have to be hibernating if
 RW> it's day time and the dark clouds are winter clouds instead of summer
 RW> clouds.

 What are moon bats? You mean .. oh .. those? Gosh I don't know are
there bats in Texas? I have a feeling you're going to say YES!

Cindy



... The moon isn't waxing, it's dusting and vacuuming.

--- PPoint 3.01